1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to prisoner restraints. More specifically, the present invention relates to restraints which help hold a prisoner in a sitting position.
2. State of the Art
Law enforcement, correction security and military personnel transport handcuffed or otherwise fettered prisoners in various vehicles from one location to another. Traditionally, a police officer arrests a suspect and places him/her in handcuffs. The prisoner is then placed in the police vehicle, which is often equipped with an aftermarket cage that prevents the suspect from moving from the back seat compartment into the front seat compartment. The cage requires hard installation to the vehicle and interferes with the rear passenger compartment being utilized for other purposes.
For a variety of reasons, many officers and departments forego the use of a cage and place the handcuffed prisoner in the front passenger seat and then only use a seatbelt to restrain the prisoner. This practice can allow prisoners to move around freely enough to unlatch the seatbelt, unlock and open the vehicle's door to escape, and in some circumstances to move the handcuffs from behind the back to the front, which facilitates a possible assault on the officer or unlawful operation of the police vehicle.
In addition to moving prisoners in a car or other vehicle, law enforcement officers and other correction officials are required to transition prisoners from different environments. The transition may often require waiting substantial amounts of time. While in the context of a stop in the field this may involve use of a police car, in other cases, the transition may include holding the prisoner for further processing or in preparation for incarceration, questioning, or otherwise receiving the prisoner.
It is very important that during these transitions that the safety of the officers and officials be considered because these transitions have often been very dangerous for the officer. For example, when booking a prisoner, the officer must often enter information about the prisoner. During this time the police officer's attention is drawn away from the prisoner and toward the computer or other system for collecting needed information. During this time the police officer is in at risk that an unruly prisoner may attack the officer. Likewise, there is the risk that the prisoner will attempt to flee while the office is not looking.
On the other hand, it is often dangerous and perhaps illegal to cause a prisoner significant discomfort during this process. A prisoner may be more likely to be passive and cooperative if comfortable. Additionally, a prisoner may be more cooperative if he or she realizes that the chance of escape is minimal.
Thus there is a need for a way to safely and comfortably detain a prisoner that includes features that aid an officer transitioning from detaining the prisoner to the next processing step.